Cocoa Brownies With Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

Rich, chocolate brownies with a wonderful peanut butter frosting. The peanut butter frosting is perfect, not too sweet. I could eat it by the spoonful.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 12 brownies

Ingredients

• 10  tablespoons butter
• 1  cup sugar
• 3⁄4 cup  plus 2 tbs  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2  large eggs, cold
• 1⁄2 cup flour

• Peanut butter frosting

• 6  tablespoons butter, softened
• 3⁄4 cup peanut butter
• 1  cup powdered sugar
• 1  pinch salt
• 1  teaspoon  fleur del sel sea salt

Directions

1. Spray an 8 inch square pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper or foil, letting 2 opposite sides overhang. Spray parchment paper or foil with cooking spray.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3. Combine butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a heat proof bowl. Place over a large pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally. When the butter is just about melted, remove the bowl. Carefully touch the cocoa mixture. It should feel warm, not hot.
4. Once the mixture is warm, add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Once the mixture is shiny and cohesive, add the flour. Stir 40 times.
5. Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
6. Once cool, frost with peanut butter frosting and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
7. For frosting:
8. Cream butter and peanut butter until combined. Slowly stir in powdered sugar until incorporated. Spread over cooled brownies. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.